Uploading and Transcoding Media Files

1. A method comprising: by a host computing server, receiving from a client computing device, a request to upload a multimedia file from the client computing device to a service; by the host computing server, determining a target encoding format based in part on information received associated with the request; by the host computing server, identifying one or more third-party transcoding servers, wherein the transcoding servers are configured to receive and transcode multimedia files from client computing devices to the target encoding format and store the transcoded multimedia files; by the host computing server, sending to the client computing device, a reply that comprises addresses of the third-party transcoding servers and job configuration information, wherein the job configuration information specifies one or more upload policies and comprises an access token enabling the client computing device to access the transcoding servers; and by the host computing server, receiving from the client computing device a job response, the job response previously sent from a first one of the transcoding servers to the client computing device, wherein: the job response indicates successful completion of transcoding the multimedia file and storing the transcoded multimedia file; and the job response comprises an identification of the transcoded multimedia file and a storage location of the transcoded multimedia file.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, by the first one of the transcoding servers: receiving, from the client computing device, the job configuration information; determining whether the access token is valid; and if the access token is valid, then: uploading, from the client computing device, the multimedia file; transcoding the multimedia file; storing the transcoded multimedia file in a storage system; and sending, to the client computing device, the job response.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the job response is encrypted.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reply is encrypted.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reply authorizes failover if a failure occurs during an upload from the client computing device to the first one of the transcoding servers, the failover comprising: by the first one of the transcoding servers, receiving from the client computing device, the access token to resume the upload; or by a second one of the transcoding servers, receiving from the client computing device, the access token to restart the upload.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multimedia file is a video clip.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the upload policies specifies a time or size limit of the multimedia file.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access token expires after a pre-determined duration of time.

9. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to: at a host computing server, receive from a client computing device, a request to upload a multimedia file from the client computing device to a service; at the host computing server, determining a target encoding format based in part on information received associated with the request; identify one or more third-party transcoding servers, wherein the transcoding servers are configured to receive and transcode multimedia files from client computing devices to the target encoding format and store the transcoded multimedia files; send, to the client computing device, a reply that comprises addresses of the third-party transcoding servers and job configuration information, wherein the job configuration information specifies one or more upload policies and comprises an access token enabling the client computing device to access the transcoding servers; and receive, from the client computing device, a job response, the job response previously sent from a first one of the transcoding servers to the client computing device, wherein: the job response indicates successful completion of transcoding the multimedia file and storing the transcoded multimedia file; and the job response comprises an identification of the transcoded multimedia file and a storage location of the transcoded multimedia file.

10. The media of claim 9 , wherein the software is further operable when executed to: at the first one of the transcoding servers, receive from the client computing device, the job configuration information; determine whether the access token is valid; and if the access token is valid, then: upload, from the client computing device, the multimedia file; transcode the multimedia file; store the transcoded multimedia file in a storage system; and send, to the client computing device, the job response.

11. The media of claim 9 , wherein the job response is encrypted.

12. The media of claim 9 , wherein the reply is encrypted.

13. The media of claim 9 , wherein the reply authorizes failover if a failure occurs during an upload from the client computing device to the first one of the transcoding servers, the failover comprising: at the first one of the transcoding servers, receiving from the client computing device, the access token to resume the upload; or at a second one of the transcoding servers, receiving from the client computing device, the access token to restart the upload.

14. The media of claim 9 , wherein the multimedia file is a video clip.

15. The media of claim 9 , wherein one of the upload policies specifies a time or size limit of the multimedia file.

16. The media of claim 9 , wherein the access token expires after a pre-determined duration of time.

17. A system comprising: one or more host computing servers, each comprising: one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to: receive, from a client computing device, a request to upload a multimedia file from the client computing device to a service; determine a target encoding format based in part on information received associated with the request; identify one or more third-party transcoding servers, wherein the transcoding servers are configured to receive and transcode multimedia files from client computing devices to the target encoding format and store the transcoded multimedia files; send, to the client computing device, a reply that comprises addresses of the third-party transcoding servers and job configuration information, wherein the job configuration information specifies one or more upload policies and comprises an access token enabling the client computing device to access the transcoding servers; and receive, from the client computing device, a job response, the job response previously sent from a first one of the transcoding servers to the client computing device, wherein: the job response indicates successful completion of transcoding the multimedia file and storing the transcoded multimedia file; and the job response comprises an identification of the transcoded multimedia file and a storage location of the transcoded multimedia file.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising one or more transcoding servers, each of the transcoding servers comprising: one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to: receive, from the client computing device, the job configuration information; determine whether the access token is valid; and if the access token is valid, then: upload, from the client computing device, the multimedia file; transcode the multimedia file; store the transcoded multimedia file in a storage system; and send, to the client computing device, the job response.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the multimedia file is a video clip.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein one of the upload policies specifies a time or size limit of the multimedia file.